Utsukushii
by TriforceandSheikahArts
Summary: He was her everything; there were no other words to describe it ... He belonged to her and her alone.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**_ – _InuYasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi and The Last Story is property of AQ Interactive and Mistwalker. All characters, setting, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I, TriforceandSheikahArts, merely wrote this story for amusement. I receive no profit from the creation of the story. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise relating to either InuYasha and/or The Last Story. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Disclaimer for Cover Photo - **I do not own the cover photo. It is property of artist **Luke262** on Deviantart, who allowed me to use the wonderful artwork of Therius, after I obtained his permission. If you like the cover photo, then I would suggest you check out the actual drawing. I will provide a link on my profile page for anyone who is interested.

**Author's Note** – Just recently I finished playing 'The Last Story' and have fallen in love with the game. Two characters have greatly attracted my attention: Sir Therius and Yurick. Naturally, I have felt the need to start a story, since I've noticed the lack of crossovers and fictions in general for 'The Last Story'. The pairing is: Kagome x Therius. I hope you like the prologue, and don't mind the shortness.

* * *

**Utsukushii**

**Prologue**

* * *

She leant her head atop his shoulder, snuggling close towards his warm frame. Armour less arms wound themselves around her trim waist like vines drawing her near. The feel of soft lips caressing her forehead sent shivers down her spine.

Shutting her eyes, she basked in sentiments of ecstasy.

She was seduced, hypnotized; lost in a trance caused by _him_.

Kisses trailing across her face, inching for her neck; velvet-like hairs tickled her nose, precipitating the urge to sneeze. Prepared to gnaw her lower lip, the action was ceased before it even commenced as a pair of succulent lips met hers.

Vision hazy, all she could see deduce were flowing long strands of white hair.

The kiss's passion increased. Her heart rate fluctuated. She moaned in despair.

"Therius…"


	2. Chapter I: Lazulis Castle

**Chapter I: Lazulis Castle**

**Written: **July 12, 14

* * *

Her stance was perfect and precise. She held her blade regally with her head held high and her back arched to the proper degree. She sported her uniform correctly with not a single piece missing or on crookedly. To the naked eye, she was the correct physical aesthetic of a knight … but there was one problem: she was female. Her sexuality, a feature she could not alter regardless of how she presented herself, was something that would never change. As a result, it set her apart within the political and social Court of Lazulis Island.

_Look, there goes Lady Kagome …_

_My, _she _certainly is quite the character …_

_To think, they made _her _a _knight._ What is this world coming to?_

_If _she _can be a _knight_, then why couldn't my son become one?_

_The shame … how horrid … _a female knight …

Day to day in her walks throughout the castle, noblemen and women of high standing alike whispered the same mindless gossip. Rarely did they tire of criticizing her, Lady Kagome Higurashi, sole female knight of Lazulis Castle. Many questioned the absurdity of it and spared no expense in voicing their 'thoughts' on the matter; in laments terms they mocked her endlessly.

Kagome suppressed a snarl. Honestly, did these people not have anything better to do with their lives? _I suppose not, _she thought grimly as she looked away in disdain. Off in the corner, three maids stood side by side watching her. She saw the typical glimmers of amusement which danced in their eyes when seeing her. She swallowed a large amount of bile and looked away.

"Good day." She nodded when passing them.

One had the audacity to laugh. "Good morning, _knight _Kagome." Her two cohorts rolled their eyes at the word 'knight' and laughed, which irked Kagome to no end.

For a minute, she saw red. Instead of acting out however – which is what the maids hoped she would do – she instead chose to place her hand on the hilt of her sword. Shifting the blade slightly and adjusting the sheath's strap, she eyed the maids noticing their weary expressions. One's face was especially pale. Mentally, she smirked before waking on. Exiting the Castle Courts, she entered the Courtyard where she saw numerous knights stationed. For the most part, an overwhelming majority were slacking off, talking loudly and behaving like regular hotshots.

Her eyes narrowed. _Idiots, _she deemed, _they're all idiots. _The knights of Lazulis Castle were nothing more than lazy, incompetent and selfish screwballs. _If only General Asthar saw them behaving like this; then he would be the one to set them straight. _General Asthar, leader of the Imperial Army and hundreds of knights throughout the Empire. His name sent shivers down the spines of noblemen, knights and royalty alike. They looked up to him for his compassion, intellect and numerous battlefield wins, yet feared him for his unmatchable skill with a blade.

Kagome grinned. General Asthar also happened to be the one who trained and encouraged her to pursue her ambitions of becoming a knight, despite the many sexist challenges she would endure. She could still recall the words he spoke to her four years ago when she was still on the path to becoming a knight.

"_Kagome, you have the skill and ability to make an excellent knight. I know you will make me proud. Do not waver from your ambitions however; you already know that the path to becoming a knight will be treacherous. You will face hardships and daily struggles merely on account of your gender. Numerous politicians and nobility will think less of you even though your skills could one day rival that of their land's top protectors … Do not let that stop you. If you desire to become a knight, then work hard to prove those men and future judgers wrong. Prove to them and to yourself that gender alone does not define a knight. Instead, show to all that what makes a true knight is a combination of skill, compassion and devotion to helping those in need."_

Those words had become her living mantra. She repeated them numerous times throughout the day when she struggled to get past the multiple crude remarks and shrouded looks the Castle members bestowed upon her.

She rounded the bend nearing the eastern corner of the Courtyard. There wasn't a person in sight. Looking both ways, she titled her head up and down before exhaling a soft sigh. If she breathed in deeply, she could faintly detect the scents of lilacs and lilies, two of her preferred flowers.

_I suppose Jinenji planted them, _she thought with a smile. Jinenji was the Castle's primary gardener and top planter for the Courtyard. He specialized in selecting, planting and maintaining the flowers and shrubbery for this area in particular. He had numerous men and women working beneath him, who reported to him for maintaining the numerous other portions of the Castle's gardens. _Jinenji does a wonderful job and many love his work. _He possessed what many called a green thumb; many speculated and believed that he could get anything to grow … and they do mean _anything. _Some swear he's attempted to grow the oddest of flowers and trees by combining the root of one plant extract with the body of another to form odd and exotic hybrids. _If Jinenji does so in his spare time, I wouldn't be too surprised. He is a master with his craft, after all._

Jinenji was an older gentleman roughly in his late forties to early fifties. He was quite tall, standing at a whopping six foot seven. Such a height generally intimidated others; many of the Castle's knights cast him looks of jealousy for possessing such a magnificent physical attribute when they saw him out and about working. _Such a foolish bunch those meddlesome knights. _Jinenji, a soft spoken man, preferred to avoid confrontation and speaking with others; as a result, he allows the knights to walk all over him and treat like a common throw rug. _Those dastardly men find it fun to torment him … I guess that's how we managed to become such good friends._

Kagome recalled their meeting day. It had been a hot and humid summer afternoon. She was sweating profoundly while wearing her usual knightly garments. Yet, she knew better then to iterate her thoughts. _If I complain about one thing, then no one forgets about it. _She was stationed outside in the Courtyard along with several others. None many paid her any attention after having received their orders. Instead, they went off on their own to speak with other knights or maids walking along the outdoor hall extension attached to the Castle, leaving Kagome to her own devices.

As expected, she maintained her duty with poise and dignity. She stood tall and watched those entered and exited the Courtyard. Time passed by relatively slow until shouting had caught her attention. Curious, she hesitantly advanced several steps from her post to witness an unfortunate sight. Several knights had surrounded Jinenji and were verbally abusing him. One knight even had the audacity to step on a pile of freshly planted flowers. Kagome could not believe what she had seen. Better yet, she could not believe that Jinenji stood there silently whilst the men talked rudely and arrogantly about his arrangements. When they began to poke fun at him, it was then that Kagome decided to step in. Pushing her duty of being gatekeeper off for a moment, she rushed forward in an attempt to finalize the 'argument'.

"_Just what do you three think you are doing? You have no right to show this man such blatant disrespect. You three should apologize immediately and leave. Return to your posts! Shall I have to report this incident to our superior?"_

As expected however, the knights ignored her words, but they had stopped bothering Jinenji. That Kagome was most thankful for. She remembered seeing them walk off, grumbling to themselves about her standoffish behaviour and the need to protect such "mindless and feeble people." Their words disgusted her, and merely reinforce her need to help the gardener.

"_Are you all right, Sir? I trust those knights shall not bother you again."_

Jinenji looked her way and nodded. _"Lady Kagome, you have my most gracious of thanks." _

"_Honestly, it was no trouble. I was merely doing what any person should; helping another when they're in need of assistance."_

Afterwards, the two engaged in light conversation. Kagome remembered being surprised by the man's intelligence. Although timid, when speaking to individuals he felt "calm and relaxed around," in this case Kagome, his witty remarks and intelligent phrases shone. Though she would not admit it, the female knight assumed the gardener felt more relaxed since there were fewer people situated within the Courtyard at that time. The knights, who had originally bothered him, were no longer present … making both Kagome and Jinenji feel better.

_But that was quite some time ago – _nearly a year ago to be precise. _I would love for nothing more than to speak with Jinenji. Heaven forbid though, he's far too busy preparing for the wedding of the century … The Engagement of Lady Calista, the last living bloodline to the House of Arganan, to Lord Jirall, heir of the Rambaldt family, which happens to be on the decline. _

She scrunched her nose in disgust. _Oh, Lord Jirall. _She detested that man and loathed appointing the title of 'Lord' to the worthless scum bucket whenever she happened to cross paths with him. _That man is worse than the knights! He's a downright coward and appoints others to do his biding for him! _Kagome has heard tales of men working for the Lord. They claimed that in times of battle, Lord Jirall fled for his life, calling for his deceased mother, while leaving the men alone to defend themselves. Afterwards, Jirall would claim to have done all the fighting singlehandedly. If one man opposed, he would be sent to the Castle dungeons without delay.

_I suppose that's the way nobility works. _She crossed her arms, shaking her head in displeasure. Far be it from her to scold those who are appointed higher than her. _I need not end up in the dungeons. I'm already on Lord Jirall's bad side …. I'm always on his list of unliked people. _It was no secret that Jirall disliked Kagome. Each time he saw the woman, he went out of his way to scold her or point out some useless imperfection she had recently messed up on.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Luckily, the Count happened to favour her. Ah, Count Arganan, uncle of Lady Calista, and former brother of the previous Count of Lazulis Island, he currently ruled the land with an iron fist. Intellectual, cunning and ambitious, he has led Lazulis Island to numerous political and economic victories throughout the empire, despite the land's size and stature. Kagome may not prefer the Count's cutthroat methods of business dealing, but when it came to security and protection, he saw it through the lens of an unbiased perspective.

Unlike others, for instance, who deemed Kagome unworthy of training for knighthood the moment of seeing her, the Count appeared interested, enthralled even, by the prospect of a female knight. As a result, he ensured her safe passage within the island's court system during her training and climbing up the knightly ranks. And, ignoring the protest of his council, he had her appointed to the stature of knighthood several years ago. Her appointing had sparked unnecessary scandal within the empire, yet the Count had not wavered from his decision. For that, Kagome respected the man immensely, as he wasn't gendered and provided her with equal opportunity to display her skill, both on the field and off, to the rest of the island's inhabitants and the larger empire.

"Come you incompetent cretins, we must hurry. General Asthar, Lord Therius and many other knights have recently docked and are returning to the Castle!" The unofficial voice of the Captain of the Knights shouted. Kagome cringed; he was another man she despised. His voice reminded her of a cat's claws attacking a chalkboard. She shuddered, recalling his foul mouthed laugh.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him address several others, who were panting or running towards him, exhausted. As expected, they saluted their superior office and listened to his requests. Kagome, who stood on the other side of the Courtyard, managed to hear his instructions – his overly loud pompous voice could probably be heard halfway across the Ocean.

"The Count's informers have stated that the General and company ought to be approaching the Castle Plaza within one hour. We are to greet and escort them all to the Castle once they have arrived there successfully."

She arched a brow. She had obtained no orders regarding such information. _I suppose I should be happy though, it means I don't have to be taking orders from that slime ball right now. _Her lips twisted upward into a smirk. Right away, she noticed several other knights were watching their Captain with dubious looks. _No doubt they hate his nasal ingested voice, too. _Coughing in an attempt to mask her chuckles, she watched the expanding group of knights exit the Courtyard in a haughty manner, their swords swinging from side to side whilst they marched in a confident manner. She waited until all were gone before emerging from her stationed post, lost in thought.

"General Asthar and Therius are returning, hmm." She mumbled to herself. "It's been over a year since I have seen both of them." Her cobalt coloured eyes softened. "I look forward to seeing them again."

"Oi, female knight, get back to yer post!" A voice shouted from above.

Kagome looked up to see an unknown knight watching her from the tower above. He was leering forward, smirking, as though he had won a major prize. "I might have to report ya for moving away from yer post, lass." With little respect, he laughed loudly. Kagome growled, but made no remarks. She merely walked back to her post, fuming.

_Insolent man._

* * *

Kagome recalled her last sighting with Therius. It had been over a year, back when he and General Asthar were visiting the island. It was evening when he approached her and suggested the two of them take an evening stroll. Unlike Kagome who wasn't able to leave the Castle unless under strict orders from the Count or a Superior Officer, Therius had free reign – on account of General Asthar's good word of mouth.

Soon after, the two left the Castle unquestioned, partially because many feared Sir Therius. His stoic yet menacing appearance along with his harsh and idealistic speech made not him a grand favourite amongst the ranks. More or less, they respected the man for his supreme skills and title alone.

Kagome and Therius walked silently beside each other through the town, passing few people. With it being a cold night, not many were outside except for venders and last minute shoppers. Kagome remembered eyeing the marketplace with glee, attempting to identify any differences from the last time she had visited the place several weeks ago. Everything had virtually remained the same besides one new stand, which catered an interesting assortment of fruits, spices and herbs.

Without warning Therius, she had stopped to inspect the new shop. The shopkeeper seemed stunned and frightened by her arrival, and attempted to answer her questions calmly and briefly.

"That is a Sylph's Bowstring, but it's not the regular kind found around Lazulis."

The vendor had captured her attention. "How so?" she inquired, curious.

"Well, the—"

"What is going on here?" Therius demanded. He had noticed mere moments ago that Kagome was no longer beside him. Partially surprised, he had to backtrack several minutes to locate the female, who happened to be where he expected to find her: the marketplace.

"Ah, Therius," she smiled, "I decided to stop by this new shop. It caught my eye."

The white haired knight arched a brow. His gaze wandered towards the Sylph Bowstring which she held. Wordlessly, he then glanced towards the vendor. "How much," was all he said.

The vendor, taken back by having another knight stop before his shop, stuttered: "W-What?"

Therius's eyes narrowed. Kagome knew the man liked to have his questions answered immediately. He loathed having to repeat himself, which he ended up doing, "The cost of the Sylph's Bowstring, how much are you charging for it."

He gulped. "I-It's for—on sale today, a solid fifty gold."

Kagome intervened. "Therius, please stop. I was merely curious about the shop. I—" She held her tongue, watching as he removed his wallet from his hidden satchel and withdrew fifty gold exact. He placed the money on the counter and then turned around, walking off.

"Kagome, come, we must continue."

She blinked, stumped, as did the vendor.

Therius paused, several steps ahead. With no more than a glance behind making his long braid sway, he sighed languidly, "Come."

Kagome nodded, thanking the vendor for his services before walking to Therius.

Like they had before her stop in the marketplace, they continued to traverse through town in silence until they reached Lazulis Road. Still clutching the Bowstring in her palms, Kagome enclosed the distance between them causing Therius to stop.

"Is there something you need?" He asked, his back facing her.

She shook her head. "I only wanted to say thank you, Therius." With a bit of mirth, she had leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for the Sylph's Bowstring, I do appreciate it."

Therius looked straight ahead, staring out towards the cloudless sky. "You wanted the item and were inquiring about it. As a man, it was only fitting that I purchase it in your place." Knowing that was best response she would get, Kagome merely laughed and slipped the Bowstring in her back pocket.

_Oh, Therius … I bet you're still the same, hopeless with words …_

A good two hours had passed since Kagome heard the Captain of the Knights usher them out of the Courtyard. Afterwards, not much action had occurred in the area. Besides witnessing many maids scurrying about to prepare for the wedding not much happened. In such events, Kagome found herself growing weary; she felt rather tired and longed for sleep.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she exhaled a loud yawn and stretched her limp arms. _That felt good, _she thought with a laugh.

"Hmm, bored already?" Her head snapped upward. She recognized that voice.

"Therius," she whispered, watching the knight approach her. Looking no different then he had a year ago, Therius walked towards her calmly yet confidently. Unlike the other knights who strut pompously around the Castle, Therius carried himself with an air of indifference which ultimately commanded respect. Kagome found herself struggling to suppress a large grin.

Therius stopped just inches before her. Kagome noted he seemed to be surveying her. Arms crossed, with his usual blatant expression he nodded. "It's good to see you again."

Quite unladylike, Kagome laughed, "Is that all you have to say?" Her voice, laced with mirth, caught Therius off guard. Preparing for the worst, he raised his arms in defence as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight.

"This is not suitable behaviour for such a location," he advised yet soon found himself unable to resist in pushing her away. "If someone were to see it would generate—"

"Shut up, Therius," she hissed, slapping his shoulder. "It's been a year since I've seen you, and regardless of what you might think or say, I have missed you." She looked up to meet his gaze.

Therius returned the stare, saying nothing.

With a widening grin, Kagome took his silence as acceptance in continuing the hug. Tightening her hold on him, she leaned her head against his shoulder resisting the urge to breath in the scent of his lush white locks.

She then felt his grip tighten around her trim waist while he pulled her closer. Her eyes softened. _Therius …. _By his actions alone, Kagome understood his sentiments; he had missed her too.

Shutting her eyes, she exhaled a contented sigh. Although her day had started off routinely boring, it ended wonderfully with her being reunited with Therius. Just standing beside him, hearing his voice and seeing him in the flesh set her heart a soar.

"Oh, my, am I interrupting something?"

Caught off guard, both Therius and Kagome froze upon hearing the voice of General Asthar. Removing herself from Therius's arms, Kagome turned around to meet the smug stare of the man she had grown to respect and view as a second father.

"G-General," she stuttered, her face turning a lovely shade of blood red. "I—we weren't—"

"General, is there something you need?" Unabashed, Therius addressed his mentor regally.

Asthar noticed the small redness of his star pupil's ears, but chose to keep his comments to himself. "I had decided to come and visit the Castle Courtyard to see one of my former students when learning she was assigned to this position," he explained. "However, I hadn't expected that you would get to her first, Therius." His smug smile widened, revealing a surprising set of white teeth. "My earlier comments may thus prove inaccurate, Therius. Perhaps you aren't a hit and miss with the ladies like I originally viewed. Lady Kagome seems to be proving the falseness in my previous observances."

Steam escaped Kagome's ears. "General!" She screamed, seeming to have forgotten all forms of decorum.

Asthar merely laughed, finding her antics amusing.

"General, how can you laugh?!" She shouted.

Her response merely added fuel to the fire, which caused his laughs to rise.

Her face turned cherry red. "General! GENERAL!"

* * *

**Author's Note – **Well, there you have it, the first chapter. I hope it was to your liking and I hope I managed to keep Therius and General Asthar in character. Zael and the others will appear in the next chapter.

Also, I guess I should explain myself. I decided to tackle the idea of Kagome being a knight in a realistic way. When playing the game, I noticed that there didn't appear to be any female fighters in the Lazulis Court. Not counting Syrenne – who is a mercenary – I found it interesting; the obvious lack of formal female fighters. Thus, I thought it might be interesting to write on. I felt the need to include the obvious dislike for a 'female knight' since I would assume that is how the majority of the Castle's inhabitants would react to it. I am not including everyone in that assumption – like I said in the actual chapter with General Asthar and the Count – but I do think that some – like Jirall – would be particularly sexist towards a possible female knight. These are merely my beliefs however, if you think different, that's fine.

Also, on another note, I am including other InuYasha characters into the story … but I'm struggling to find ways of including them. I know for a fact that I will NOT include Sesshomaru in the story (sorry to anyone who was hoping I might), but he just doesn't fit in with the overall atmosphere and everything I'm trying to achieve. I REALLY want to include Sango, Miroku, Shippou, perhaps InuYasha and several others, but I'm at a standstill of what their possible characters could be. If you readers have any ideas, feel free to suggest them.

I guess that's about it. I hope you all liked the chapter. Thank you for reading,

-TFSA


	3. Chapter II: Mercenaries

**Chapter II: Mercenaries**

**Written: **July 15, 14

* * *

Kagome awoke early the following morning, stretching herself before allowing a small groan to escape her lips. Getting up and out of bed, she surveyed the room and smiled. Outside, the sun had briefly begun to rise from the eastern horizons, signalling the commencement of another day – a joyous and wonderful day, she dubbed.

Making the bed, she set about changing from her night clothes and into her knightly garments. Sliding on the last bit of undergarments and under padding, she stalked towards the vanity and quickly brushed and combed her hair. She settled for tying her waist long hair back into a braid before pinning it up into a nice and firm bun. Making sure that no pieces were protruding, she then attempted to pin back her bangs, but scowled when a large portion refused to cooperate.

She rolled her eyes. _I suppose this lopsided fringe of mine will just have to remain... as usual. _

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, before continuing to dress herself. Moments after finishing, a knock at the door caught her attention.

"Coming," she said and walked forward. Twisting the door handle, she was greeted by the sight of Therius. Her eyes softened. "Good morning, Therius." She nodded, smiling.

He nodded accordingly. "I see that you are still habituated to your early morning habits, Lady Kagome."

She arched a brow before sighing heavily. "Therius, how many times have I told you, when it's just the two of us, we don't need to address each other with our usual titles."

"My apologizes, Lady Kagome."

"Uh," she uttered, "Therius I—no, never mind." She banished the thought from her mind. For years, both General Asthar and she fought tirelessly to have Therius speak to them in a less formal tone when merely in the company of each other. However, unsurprisingly, the knight struggled to grasp and retain such a habit.

_I guess he's constantly in 'Knight Mode' twenty-four seven. _She thought, grinning.

"Lady Kagome, if you are willing and able, I would like to test your skills with your blade. I am interested in seeing whether or not your capabilities have strengthened or remained the same during our year long absence." That caught her attention.

"Therius… you wish to have a duel, _now_?" She hadn't even been up for ten minutes, and already the knight was interested in a one-on-one combat session. "Goodness, what time is it?"

"Roughly, it is five minutes before five," he answered simply. "If you are not willing to spar now, then speak up. I can return at a later time, if you prefer." Though inviting, his tone left no room for argument. Kagome knew from experience that Therius could – and would – wait for hours whenever he wanted a suitable sparing partner.

She sighed dejectedly. "Give me a moment to retrieve my blade. Afterwards, I suppose we'll make our way down to the Military Wing?" Luckily at this hour, not too many knights would be training. Only a handful would be awake, and would be too busy grumbling over the fact of having to be up at such an ungodly hour to pay attention to herself and Therius.

"Understood, I shall wait outside." She watched him walk towards the wall directly across from her bedroom, and lean against it, crossing him arms all while maintaining perfect posture.

She stifled a laugh. To her, Therius's stance resembled much of the statues situated throughout the castle. _The only difference is he has better hair then them._ There was no use in denying it; Therius possessed a long and lean lush of beautiful white tinted hair. _Sometimes, from the back, I've heard people mistaken him for an old man. _She bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from chuckling. _But then again, his white mane is envied by many girls. _Kagome would never admit it openly, but she too was envious of the man's perfect hair. _He literally does nothing to his hair but brush and wash it regularly, and yet, they're somehow perfect… all the time! _It wasn't fair. His hair looked soft enough to resemble a perfectly white cloud floating in the sky on a lovely summer afternoon. _Meanwhile, mine looks like a haystack before and after I pin it back._

"Uhh!" she hissed and grabbed her blade. Sliding the sheath to fit comfortably by her side, she exited the room, locking the door behind her. Pocketing the key, she cast Therius a small glance before following him down the hall towards the Military Wing.

* * *

"Hmm!"

"Uhh!"

Their blades clashed violently against each other. For a minute, Kagome struggled to maintain her stance against Therius. In contrast to her, he was much stronger physically. With his toned ligaments and well devised attacks, it made the situation difficult for Kagome, as she struggled to both dodge and locate a suitable opening to strike.

_He might possess stronger attacks, but I'm quicker on my feet. _She would have to use her speed to her advantage. When fighting Therius, speed was her only positive. _But where and when can I?_

"Above!" She then hissed, raising her sword just in time to block his incoming attack. Damn. She gritted her teeth. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small black strand fall to the ground. Her eyes widened. Therius had sliced off a small – well, rather miniscule – portion of her hair. Her jaw partially dropped. _That no good—_

"Hmm!" Without realizing it, Therius had managed to knock her blade from her hands. The raven haired knight watched it skid across the training grounds, towards the nearest wall.

"Damn," she hissed, breathing hard. Sweat dripping from her scalp, she placed her hands on her trim waist, feeling the redness of her cheeks flourishing further. "It looks—it looks like you've bested me."

Therius as well appeared partially clammy. The upper portion of his forehead was covered with perspiration, and Kagome saw a slight redness in his cheeks. She watched him slide his sword away, saying nothing about her skills. Instead he uttered something far worse: "You were distracted."

Kagome's jaw dropped. She felt her blood boil. Prepared to unleash a hefty retort, she caught herself midway when seeing several others gawking their way. Most consisted of knights, informers and guards. With several stationed throughout the corridor and beyond, Kagome knew raising her voice and shouting profanities at Therius was out of the question.

She settled instead with sighing heavily. "I wasn't distracted," she stated, walking forward to collect her sword. "I was merely… lost in thought." Therius's narrowed eyes only made her laugh lightly. She slid the sword back in its holster. "Those are two very different things."

"How so?" he challenged her. "They both imply the same; that you were distracted. In a real fight, you would have perished long ago."

Vexed, she crossed her arms. "Well, I, hmm—" She puffed out her cheeks. She wanted no more than to scream. Here it was still early morning, she hadn't eaten, was still tired, and with Therius critiquing her in front of so many people… well, it didn't make her a very happy camper.

In an attempt to maintain some form of composure, she enclosed the distance between herself and Therius, whispering, "You had the unfair advantage."

"Which was?" Therius questioned, choosing his words carefully. When it came to Kagome, he always had to be on guard. Her emotions varied widely throughout the day, generally from content to livid in a matter of minutes.

She titled her head partially to the left. "… I hadn't yet eaten," she mumbled before walking off. Struggling to contain herself from blushing profusely, she stalked past the guards, refusing to look back – even when feeling Therius's gaze boring into her backside.

_Goodness, how stupid could I be? _She thought, fiddling with the straps of her gloves. _'You had the unfair advantage… I hadn't yet eaten?' Ah! How stupid am I! _Wanting nothing more then to bang her head against the wall, she waited for the elevator to reach the lower floor and open, before pushing her way inside, still struggling to conceal her growing blush.

_I'm such an idiot!_

* * *

Hours passed by slowly for Kagome as she struggled to keep herself occupied. With the larger portion of the castle staff preoccupied in preparing for the evening's festivities, she more or less had free reign for several hours until her evening shift of watching the ball commenced.

_I guess this break is good in some ways… it gives me some time to avoid Therius. _Kagome still could not get over the immense fact of how she embarrassed herself in front of the knight. _I haven't seen him in a year… and then I had to go and say that?! What kind of a moron am I?_

She struggled to hold herself together. Although she was currently alone, there was no telling who might be watching. Even if a lowly maid or nobleman were to see her, she could only imagine what form of idle gossip would soon be passed around the castle walls. Based on her loss earlier this morning in the Military Wing, she could already imagine the knights were having a field day. They loved to hold anything they could above her, as many still believed her to be incompetent and unworthy of her title as knight.

She hissed with displeasure. _Perhaps I ought to visit Kaede; she might make me feel better… or have something I might be able to do to pass the time. _

Kaede was the castle's top healer. She had been appointed the position by the former Count many years before the birth of Lady Calista. When Count Arganan took the throne however, he was hesitant on keeping Kaede on staff. It took multiple referrals from other nursemaids and even several knights to keep the woman working. However, in the end, it had been General Asthar who had the final say. With his words, he had managed to convince the Count to not only allow Kaede to stay, but receive a larger annual fund for the purchasing of herbs and potions to be bought and shipped to the castle and island.

_Kaede_ _is quite kind, if a little rough. _There was no other way to describe the woman. _But I suppose she'd have to be tough, what with the life she endured. _Kagome knew very little regarding the woman's past. She merely knew that Kaede had grown up in a small village protected by her elder sister, who acted as the village's head priestess. One day when fighting a monster, her sister was gravely injured and passed on. Kaede, who was no more than a young girl at the time, tried her best to help the others combat the monster. Despite being young, she was quite proficient in the art of archery, and with her skills, she managed to help the villagers defeat the beast… but had lost her left eye in the process. Since then, she's sported an eye patch.

"I suppose Kaede would be in need of some assistance." The more Kagome thought of visiting her, the more she liked it. Kaede was quite happy whenever Kagome visited her in the Medical Wing, and would almost always help her, whether it be through expanding her knowledge in the art of healing, or merely providing a temporary ear to listen to. On account of such, Kagome had developed a large amount of trust with Kaede. And similar to her views towards General Ashtar, she greatly admired Kaede and sometimes considered the woman to be that of a second mother.

_In order to head to the Medical Wing, I'll need to pass through the Great Hall, which isn't too far from where I'm currently docked. _It would take the girl a matter of minutes to reach there. With a hopeful smile lining her face, she departed for the Medical Wing, slowly beginning to feel her past sentiments of sorrow and embarrassment banishing. _Who knows, maybe I can even have the chance to practice more of my healing magic._ That made her smile widen. Besides her love of being a knight, Kagome loved to help others. One of the best ways she found to do so was through her healing magic.

_I may not be as good as Lady Kaede, but I certainly have improved since my early stages in the area. _At nine, Kagome began to train as a healing mage. _I was training in the art of healing for eight years before having met General Ashtar. _Similar to Kaede, Kagome once resided in a small forest village, which specialized particularly in growing wheat to be shipped across the Ocean to the nearest cities. At the time, Kagome lived with her grandfather, as both her parents and younger brother had passed on years before when their house was set afire. Kagome happened to be out at the time… but the rest of her family wasn't as lucky. _I was only seven when I lost all three of them… I barely remember them, but it still hurts to think about them, even to this day…_

With her startling loss, Kagome was quickly shipped off to the neighbouring village where her grandfather resided. Her grandfather was a history fanatic and lover of storytelling, and also managed the Higurashi Shrine, which had been passed down throughout the family for generations. Before the death of her younger brother, Souta, Kagome's parents were planning to send him to live with his grandfather, so that one day he could take over the Shrine… Sadly, that never transpired. Thus, before her grandfather's passing, he planned to take on a future student to train and one day marry Kagome, as she would be the key to keeping on the shrine's familial blood line in check. Yet, before he even began his search, her grandfather insisted – more like enforced – Kagome to learn the art of healing and the background of the shrine. He claimed it was his granddaughter's duty to undertake such a task, and even went as far as to locate a suitable instructor to begin training her. By the age of nine, Kagome had begun her studies under the tutelage of Lady Midoriko.

Lady Midoriko was a stunning woman; a person Kagome could not forget. She had made a name for herself throughout the area as being a wandering priestess. She travelled from towns to villages alike, tending to the injured, dying and weak. In part, it was because of her kind and gentle nature, which made Kagome's interest in healing accumulate to such a large degree.

_I always wondered what happened to Midoriko. _She thought, turning down the corridor. _The day that our village was attacked by bandits, she had rushed off to help the children hiding within the school… but afterwards, she never returned. _Kagome remembered that day well. Days after her seventeenth birthday, bandits invaded the village. They set the houses ablaze, robbed the people of their little treasures and livelihoods, and killed the men, before deciding to take the women and children for themselves – most likely to sell to brothels or keep for servants of pleasure. Kagome shuddered at the thought. _I thought we had almost been done for that day, but then General Asthar and his knights appeared. _She vaguely remembered their appearance; the knights riding into town on horseback, ready to take on battle with the General at their side.

_General Asthar… he was simply magnificent… His skill and kindness had left me speechless that day. _At the time, Kagome had been struggling to defend the village with several others. The majority had been older men, who were first hesitant to allow Kagome to help them; but after seeing her take down a bandit relatively easy with her blade, they no longer had any issues. It must have seemed surprising at the time, Kagome Higurashi, the granddaughter of the village's Shrine keeper was able to wield a blade surprisingly well. They knew she was undergoing healing training by Lady Midoriko, but none knew the woman had been training Kagome in the art of swordsmanship as well. It was a task that Midoriko wished to keep secret, and Kagome remembered having to swear secrecy about it.

_I always assumed it was because she didn't want grandfather to know... Perhaps she feared that if he found out, he would have terminated our lessons. _That was the reason Kagome had assumed that Midoriko wished to keep their sparing sessions a secret. _I wished I could have asked her why… but whenever I attempted to raise the issue, she would always sidetrack me with something else. _It almost seemed like Midoriko was avoiding the question. Partially, it had irked Kagome; she only wanted her question answered, but the older woman seemed hesitant—better yet, she seemed to flat out refuse but was merely too polite to say so directly. _I suppose I'll never have the chance to ask her… with her disappearance and grandfather's death caused by the bandits during the invasion, I had much more important matters to worry about…_

_After the attack, I had no clue as to what I would do with my life… grandfather still hadn't selected a suitable apprentice, and I would not have been able to take on all of the Shrine duties on my own… Then there was the village. So many innocent people had died that day. How would the village function? _There had been too many issues to resolve. Even to this day, when thinking about the village, Kagome's head begun to spin. She recalled how everything was in shambles; houses burning, people fighting to take back their stolen goods, children crying, people dying. _I knew that I had to help heal the others and help keep the children safe, but there was so much going on… I felt like my head would have exploded… But then, General Asthar and the knights approached again, making things a little bit easier to handle._Kagome recalled that moment best of all. It was hard to forget, after all, General Asthar certainly knew how to make an impression. _He seemed interested… especially in having a discussion with me… He inquired about the village and what had occurred… He even had his knights aid in extinguishing the flames and rounding up the children and injured… Afterwards, once things had settled down, he approached me again, and spoke to me. I can recall our conversation perfectly._

_"Young woman, you certainly are well adept with a blade. Tell me, what is your name?"_

_"Kagome Higurashi, Sir—"_

_"Asthar, call me Asthar."_

_"Sir Asthar then, it is a pleasure to meet you."_

_"You as well, Lady Kagome… Please tell me, where had you learned such skills with a blade?"_

_I had been hesitant to answer his question. With Midoriko swearing me to secrecy, I wasn't sure if I should reveal such to the General. Regardless of the fact that he helped protect the village, I vowed to keep my promise to Lady Midoriko—and have done so to this day. "I have been practising on my own for several years, Sir Asthar."_

_It appeared as though he hadn't believed me, yet he never questioned me further on the issue. "I see. In any event, you are quite skilled. I am impressed to have located a suitable swordswoman in these parts. That is quite a rare feature in itself…" His eyes had appeared to twinkle with something. Curiosity? Perhaps… interest? I wasn't too sure, but what I did know was that he seemed determined in continuing our conversation._

_We may have ceased our tête-à-tête that night, but by morning he was at my side again questioning me further… He inquired about my family, and I vividly recall that when he learned of me being an orphan, he suggested: "Why not join us, Lady Kagome?" I had been stunned, far too confused to generate a proper answer. He had continued. "If you are interested, I would be keen on taking you on as my future pupil. You are well adept with a blade and are quite skilled in the art of healing. Those two areas combined with training under my area of expertise would one day make you a suitable candidate for knighthood."_

_… Knighthood… Just thinking about it then sent shivers down my spine… I knew for a fact that I was nowhere near suitable for such a position… It seemed too dream-like to accept… but then again, what else did I have? I didn't have many friends in the village, and no one seemed too keen in taking me in. Grandfather's shrine had burnt to the ground, along with all of the familial heirlooms… I had nowhere else to go… And General Ashtar was the only one who showed relative interest in me… When I think about it even to this day, I don't regret accepting his invitation to becoming his student… Had it not been for him, I wouldn't be standing here today…_

Kagome stopped mere inches from the central staircase of the Grand Hall. Her eyes were moist with fresh tears. She struggled to withhold the urge of blatantly wiping them in public. She knew it went against her principles to appear weak in the eyes of the public—especially in the eyes of nobility. With it being mere hours before the ball, more noblemen and noblewomen were wandering the central halls and floors of the castle. Anywhere she went, she would have to be extra cautious and maintain proper composure like there was no tomorrow. Sometimes she detested this part of being a knight; the fact of having to maintain her decorum at all times… but again, it was merely part of her position, and something she would have to learn to live with it.

_I've dealt with it for years, long before I was even appointed knight at Lazulis Castle… I should be more than used to it. _

"Syrenne, stop gawping like an idiot," a man shushed.

"Hmm?" Interested, Kagome leaned closer towards the northern railings, and noticed a small group approaching the central staircase. It was a group of six, composed of two women and four men. All six sported an overwhelming majority of black clothing, and the female redhead and blonde haired male appeared to be looking around whilst squawking to each other quietly.

Kagome suppressed a laugh. Those two seemed quite like the handful.

"The ball is due to start soon." The one she assumed to be the leader spoke up. "There could be feuding nobles together in the same place. So take care that _nothing unfortunate_ happens." He turned around and appeared to stare at the redhead in particular.

The blonde smirked. "Sure thing. Syrenne, try not to show off your complete lack of class, eh?"

Syrenne glared. "Shut yer pie hole, Lowell. You're a fine one to talk!"

Kagome softly snorted. _I wonder how she would respond to Therius. _She smirked at the thought before focusing her attention to the group once again. Curious, she briefly surveyed each, noticing that each member appeared to have some form of weapon on them. The other woman and the youngest male – who wore an eye patch – both had small daggers strapped to their sides. Kagome assumed one to be a mage while the other was most likely a healer. _My guess is that the female is the healer. _The blonde, whose name appeared to be Lowell, also had a dagger strapped to his side. _Another mage… perhaps? _The remaining three each had a typical sword strapped to their sides. But again, the female redhead – Syrenne was her name, right? – In particular had two swords strapped to her sides. This caught Kagome's attention. She arched a brow, whistling softly. _A female capable of fighting with two blades; now, that is impressive. _

Lost in thought, Kagome snapped out of her daze several minutes later when realizing she had nearly forgotten to visit Lady Kaede. Straightening herself, she fastidiously brushed off any pieces of dirt or grim covering her uniform before commencing once again to walk in the direction of the Medical Wing.

Heading straight past the central staircase, a low whistle caught her attention. "Well, well, would ye look at that, a female knight."

She stopped walking upon recognizing the voice. It belonged to the female redhead Syrenne.

"Uh oh, Syrenne, it looks like she heard you," Lowell, the blonde, whispered in a teasing tone. "Do you think she'll come over here and have a word with ya?"

Kagome arched a brow, deciding to ignore his words. _I've already caused a large enough 'scandal' for today, I better not try my luck at another. _With that thought in mind, she kept walking, refusing to look their way. She could feel several gazes upon her, and never once doubted that a set belonged to Syrenne and Lowell. Right before leaving the room, she discreetly heard her snort.

"That woman is nothing more than another stuck up knight. Probably got a pole shoved up her arse too high and doesn't know how to remove it."

The comment made her stop in her tracks. Blinking profoundly, she turned herself around only to mentally scold herself before moving on. _I mustn't start anything; I mustn't start anything, _she kept repeating to herself. _I must maintain my decorum; after all, I am in the eyes of the public. _

Biting her tongue, Kagome exhaled loudly and exited the Great Hall, swallowing the urge to turn around and teach the redhead a lesson in not judging others based upon a single glance.

_But who am I to say such things, when I've done the same before too? _

* * *

**Author's Note: **I was bored and decided to write this all in one day. Honestly, I could have made this chapter even longer. I have quite a bit planned, but I suppose I'll include the rest of what I had planned for this chapter into the next. Don't be too surprised if the next chapter is posted up quite soon. I'm thoroughly enjoying writing this story, and since I'm off for the next few days with nothing much to do, I'll probably be spending most of the days writing… Yay!

Also, thank you to _zgirl16_ and _xXCrossoverLoverXx _for reviewing the first chapter. I'm happy to know that people are enjoying the story. Thank you to everyone else who placed the story on their alerts and favourites. It truly means a lot to me. Also, to anyone else who is interested, in the next chapter, we'll be seeing several other InuYasha characters appear. Not counting Kaede, Shippou and Kirara will be making an appearance. I'm still struggling to find a way to include Miroku, Sango and InuYasha, but I'm really trying, since I want them featured in the story. Again, if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to comment on it.

Well, I suppose that's it for now. I hope you liked the chapter.

All the best, and thank you for reading,

-TFSA

P.S., Before I forget to mention it, in case anyone is curious about Kagome and Therius's ages, here it is:

Therius – 30 years old

Kagome – 28 years old

I looked it up, and apparently Therius is somewhere between 30-35 years old… Kind of shocked me, but I suppose it fits. Nonetheless, to make their 'relationship' more accurate and suitable, I decided to make Kagome roughly the same age as him, but a couple years younger.

As well, if anyone noticed any grammar and/or spelling mistakes, feel free to point them out. After hours of staring at the same document, I might not have caught some. X3 I think loads of people on this site can relate, no?


	4. Chapter III: Discussions

**Chapter III: **Discussions

**Written: **July 17, 14

**Posted: **July 18, 14

* * *

Kagome entered the Medical Wing, smiling as she greeted several passing nursemaids with a curt nod. _It smells like antiseptic and bandages in here, _she denoted, eyeing the room with widening eyes. Filled to the brim with beds and cabinets stocked with potions, wrappings and herbs, the Medical Wing resembled more of a large factory that specialized in fabricating aliments for the sick than to actually aid the injured and dying.

_Now, to find Lady Kaede… _

Kaede had to be somewhere amidst this ever-growing room of patients, nursemaids and practising future nursemaids. Kagome walked up and down the medical aisles slowly, stopping when she heard an old voice hissing, "Shippou, ye had better put that down. If ye don't stop this senseless jabbering, I'll have ya removed by the castle guards this instant, and be sent back to the Library to yer studies."

"Aw, Grandma, do I have too?" Shippou's adorable voice whined causing Kagome to smile. She rounded the nearest wall, coming to the sight of Lady Kaede scolding Shippou.

Shippou was a seven-year old boy, emerald-eyed ginger, who resided in the castle for reasons unknown to Kagome. Ever since she had been permanently stationed to Lazulis Castle as a knight, the boy had been around—particularly in the Great Library, which seemed to be his home away from home. According to himself, he was training to become the world's greatest fire mage. _Although he's still small, his magic is quite impressive, _she thought. Shippou was quite the intelligent boy. Academically, he was years ahead of others his age, and was currently studying the same material that several other children in the Library, who were several years older than him, were learning. _Though… because of such, he's often bullied by the other children. _Her eyes darkened. _Maybe that's why he prefers to spend his time in the Medical Wing with Kaede._

Shippou, although intelligent, still had the mind of a regular seven year old. Not counting his knowledge of behaving and interacting with nobility, when around others—mostly nursemaids, Kaede and Kagome herself—he was quite perceptive, largely sensitive, but also had a pretty big mouth. Multiple times in the past, Kagome had been forced to pull the boy away from a horde of knights, as he had… managed to articulate several naughty words and phrases, which weren't the kindest, or expected of any seven year old to know.

Beads of sweat formed behind her head. _Oh, Shippou… _Besides his large mouth, Shippou also possessed a heart of gold. Such made him quite a hit amongst the nursemaids, who almost always flocked to him when he was in the Medical Wing. Without Kaede's knowledge, they also provided him with many treats in the form of candies, sweets and toys. They played with him, ruffled his hair and kissed his cheeks and forehead. Kagome knew the boy loved the attention, as evident by the growing smirks he held when noticing the glares of several knights who occasionally stopped by the infirmary to visit particular nursemaids. Eight out of ten times, a nursemaid or two had scooted the knights out if they weren't injured, as the rest were too busy fussing and fawning over Shippou. She rolled her eyes at the thought. _Shippou loves their attention; heck he basks in it… I only hope it doesn't spoil him when he grows older._

"Kagome!" exclaimed Shippou. She watched him put down a pot filled of something unknown to rush to her side. Wrapping his small arms around her legs, he hugged her lower frame. "I missed you."

"Hello, Shippou," she greeted, ruffling his ginger coloured hair. "How are you doing?"

"Great!" He laughed, revealing a newly lost tooth. "Grandma's letting me stay here. I'm practising to become the world's best mage, and healer~"

Kagome chuckled, her eyes softening. Bending down to reach his height, she extended her arms out wide and offered the child a tight hug. Shippou leaned into the embrace, revelling in her warm and soft hold. "I missed you too, Shippou," she murmured, leaning her head atop his.

"Lady Kagome, is there something you require?" Kaede questioned, watching their interaction with a soft expression gracing her aged face.

Kagome frowned, slowly getting to her feet. Watching Shippou excuse himself to speak with two passing nursemaids, she spotted an empty chair several feet away and sat down. "I have a few hours to spare until the Ball tonight, and was wondering if you required any form of assistance."

Kaede, who was in the midst of drying her hands, set down the towel and studied Kagome curiously. Eyeing her from top to bottom, the female knight inwardly shuddered at the woman's protruding voice, "Ye aren't staying here to hide from _someone _perhaps?" All too aware of whom Kaede was addressing, Kagome shot down the suggestion with a flourishing blush.

"Kaede, I have no idea for whom you are referring to."

The head nursemaid smiled coyly. "Kagome, your acting skills are terrible."

"Uhh!" she nearly fell out of her seat.

Kaede's smirk widened. "Kagome, pushing whatever occurred previously aside, it is not best to avoid yer problems. Ye know this well enough." She leaned in closer, whispering. "Perhaps with this supposed 'free time' you now possess, ye ought to visit said someone and speak with them… Who knows, perhaps they have this 'free time' too."

Kagome's blush grew to a prominent red rose tint. "Kaede," she whined, looking up and down the walkway to make sure that no one else was watching or attempting to listen to their conversation. "I am fine. I merely came here to provide assistance, in case you required it."

The heard nursemaid arched a brow. She studied Kagome's profile for a minute. She noticed the way Kaede eyed her sword in disdain, and immediately slipped it off, pushing it to the nearest corner. Kaede was not a fan or avid supporter of violence, and more or less despised it when the knights or even Kagome herself entered the Medical Wing with her sword strapped to her side.

Exhaling, Kagome then looked around the room, smiling to herself when seeing Shippou being fawned over by four nurses. Grinning widely, the youngster appeared to be in heaven as the four females' dotted excessive amounts of concern and joy upon him. Kaede followed her gaze, but rolled her eyes.

"That youngster never learns," was all she managed to say before looking away. Grunting, she focused her attention towards the nearest countertop and walked forward, ushering for Kagome to follow her with a wave of her left hand. "Kagome, if ye want to be helpful for some time, then perhaps ye can help me sort through these newly purchased herbs. They were shipped overseas, and are quite powerful in aiding with paralysis magical attacks."

Kagome nodded. "I would love to help, Kaede."

And so, for the next hour and a half, Kagome spent her time aiding Kaede. The two sorted through the large pile of paralysis medication fairly quickly, and afterwards devoted a larger portion of their time to restocking the remaining medical cabinets. The other nursemaids watched on, unfazed – though slightly interested – to the sight of Kagome working in the Medical Wing. As long as Kaede was present however, none dared to venture forward to question the woman, as many were frightened by Kaede's tough exterior. Akin to Sir Therius, the nursemaids and many others respected Lady Kaede for her skills and knowledge in the many areas of healing, but feared her as well for her blunt, ominous tone and acute perception which she used on a daily basis… chiefly on those who were either prone to making numerous mistakes, or were simply too incompetent for their own good.

Soon departing from the infirmary, Kagome excused herself as she waved goodbye to Kaede, and provided Shippou with a long and happy hug. Promising to return soon, she exited the Medical Wing from the northern stairwell, descending into the north-western portion of the Courtyard. Prepared to combat her fears of speaking to Therius, the knight was stopped before she could venture any further by a particular blonde haired man by the name of Lowell.

He was leaning against the wall furthest from her, speaking with what appeared to be a maid. Kagome had only briefly caught the ending of their conversation, for Lowell appeared to have dismissed the woman with an overly flirtatious smile and wave combination. She stopped in her tracks. Lowell then looked her way and looked towards the other wall before suddenly darting his vision back towards her. His eyes widened, clouding over with what appeared to be interest – and… was that lust? – While he stalked forward, smiling coyly.

Kagome arched a brow. She watched him advance until there was no more than a three foot gap separating them. "Good day milady," he bowed. "It is an honour to meet a woman of yer calibre." Instantaneously she knew where this was going by the tone of his voice, and obvious once over he provided her with.

She cleared her throat, attempting to remain calm. "Good afternoon, Sir. I must provide my sincerest form of gratitude for such an honest comment, although your words are far too kind." When seeing his hands reach forward in an attempt to grasp hers, she moved them away, opting to place them behind her back.

"If I might be so bold to ask, what is your name, oh, lovely and majestic knight?" He inquired.

If possible, Kagome wanted to roll her eyes. _Does he honestly think that I would fall for such cheap and overused lines? _However, judging by his shady and dishevelled appearance, she believed her passing thoughts to be fairly accurate.

She gulped. With no more than a forced smile, she answered, "My name is Lady Kagome. And, yours, good Sir?"

"My name Lady Kagome is Lowell, the gallant and magnificent."

Kagome resisted the urge to slap her forehead with the back of her gloved palm. _My, he has… quite the confidence… Typical playboy attitude too. _Stomaching the overwhelming desire swelling inside of her to then walk away, Kagome forced herself to nod politely and provide a quaint smile.

"How lovely, Sir Lowell." She licked her lips in passing. "I would assume that you are a man of… many talents." She shuddered at her words, cringing at the last two in particular.

_I hadn't a clue of how to phrase myself! I just want this conversation to end!_

Lowell appeared to disregard the ill-contempt of her words, for he ran a hand through his hair, sporting that overly pompous grin once again. "I am a man of… _many talents_, my dear, sweet, Lady Kagome." He winked. "However, I am quite talented in the area of magic as well."

She arched a brow, "What field of magic exactly do you specialize in, Sir Lowell?"

"Ice," he whispered, daring to take a step further to whisper in her ear while he placed his hands on her shoulders.

On instinct, she backed away, slapping his hands away. "I see," she uttered, shuddering slightly.

Lowell noticed the gesture, and couldn't help but smirk. Kagome cursed herself, finding herself to then be in a position the ice mage seemed to prefer. _Damn it all! _She hissed. With little patience remaining, she inched away. Lowell, however, advanced with her. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. _Bloody hell, is this man teasing me? Is he trying to irk me to my wits end?_

"Lady Kagome, is there something troubling you?" Again, he touched her shoulder with his free hand. She visibly shuddered and cast a glance around the area. No one was near. For that, she was more than thankful. "If you are in need of assistance, then I would gladly have no trouble in providing you with a form of aid." He spoke into her ear. Soon after, she felt his hand slide down her shoulder, inching for her back.

Ears turning red, with little hesitation she slapped his nearest cheek with her hand, backing away. "Just what kind of woman do you take me for?!" She hollered. "Have you not heard of respecting a person's personal boundaries, you no good pervert?!"

Lowell rubbed his sore cheek, grinning cheekily. "A challenge, ehh?" he laughed, speaking more to himself than Kagome. "Hmm, this should prove to be most interesting."

Kagome felt her jaw drop, while steam was preparing to seep from her ears. "… Ignorant, no good playboy!" she seethed, raising her index finger before his face. "Leave me be this instant! Uhh!" She stalked off, only to be pulled back by Lowell. Shaking with anger, she turned around and didn't allow him the chance to speak, as she quickly slapped his other cheek with her hand.

Stunned, he released his grip on her while mumbling various swear words under his breath. Kagome used those few moments to back away and grasp the hilt of her sword. Snarling, she took proper battle stance. "Pervert, if you dare move an inch, I will not hesitate to draw my sword."

Lowell looked up with two visible hand prints staining both of his cheeks. Had Kagome not been thrust forward into the situation, she would have instantly found the scene comical. "Ah, you're not a woman to be messed with, Lady Kagome..." He rubbed his tender cheeks. For a moment, she began to feel bad. Here seconds ago, she had just physically harmed the blonde, which went against all of her principles of knighthood. But then again, the man had deserved it… he was a no good pervert, after all.

She weighed the thoughts over in her mind for a second, but decided against feeling sorry for Lowell. If she provided him with pity, he might take it the wrong way or use it to his advantage, which she did not doubt he would attempt to do. Without removing her hand from her sword's hilt, she watched him cautiously and calculatingly.

Lowell, however, surprised her by standing his ground, not moving an inch. "Lady Kagome, ya certainly packed quite the punch in those slaps… too bad for you though, that I happen to like a good challenge." He winked once more. "I'm not going to give up on ya. By the end of our next meeting, I'll be sure to make ye fall for my charms and dashing good looks."

…

Was this man serious?

Her right eye started to switch. Unconsciously or on purpose – she wasn't entirely sure – her grip on the hilt of her blade tightened, making the leather lining of her gloves contract. "Ignorant, foolish playboy!" she seethed, prepared to bubble over in a pot of uncooked anger. "You are—"

"Halt. What goes on here?" A voice inquired, interrupting Kagome from finishing her previous thought.

She gasped and removed her hand from her sword. "G-General," she stuttered, feeling her heart rate increase by a tenfold. "I—we…"

General Asthar advanced, eyeing Kagome in what appeared to be slight disappointment. "Lady Kagome, I thought that I had taught you better." She looked away shamefully, unable to meet his gaze. Eyeing the ground, she heard him address Lowell. "Sir Mercenary, you have my apologies. I trust that my former student has not injured or addressed you in a disrespectful manner."

Lowell chuckled and swatted a hand to the air. "Ah, it's fine. No harm, no foul, as they say, ehh?" Laughing again, he offered the General a slight nod. "Fear not General, Lady Kagome hasn't injured anything else but my pride…" Without allowing the General a chance to reply, Lowell walked off… but not before offering Kagome a flirtatious grin and wave, which she easily scowled at.

General Asthar waited for Lowell to be further enough from hearing distance, before turning around to address Kagome. Bashfully, she looked up and offered him a nervous smile. "General," she nodded, her ears turning red. "About my behaviour just then… I had—I mean I wasn't—"

"Fear not, Kagome." He spoke calmly, interrupting her thoughts once more. "I understand your actions well enough, and based upon the amount I heard beforehand, your actions are justifiable."

Her head snapped up. Eyes twinkling, she started to smile. General Asthar bellowed at the sight. "You truthfully are a woman of independent standing, Kagome," he spoke in between laughs. "Such a talent is admirable, although you must remember to act with decorum." He placed a hand on her shoulder, which she did not recoil to. "Remember Kagome, you are a knight, and must act and behave in such a manner that is appropriate to knighthood in all times."

Her eyes darkened slightly. "General, I understand, however, in the presence—"

"Of men such as him, you lose yourself to your emotions," he finished for her.

Abashed, all Kagome could muster was a silent nod.

Asthar patted her shoulder accordingly. "Kagome, fear not. I am more than aware of such concerning you… After all, your past actions, particularly regarding a certain Captain of the Guards was more than evident." To his words, Kagome's ears darkened, which made her look away.

"It wasn't my fault," she whispered. "Anyone could have thrown that rock his way."

"And hit him square in the nose?" He challenged mirthfully.

Kagome snorted and crossed her arms. "Maybe..."

With no more than a bellowed laugh, General Asthar ushered her forward, leading her towards the Central Courtyard. "Come Kagome, I wish to have a discussion with Therius and yourself."

Unbeknown to the General, Kagome looked down upon hearing his words and recalled her morning spar with the knight. Knowing for a fact that he would reiterate the issue to General Asthar, all Kagome could manage was to exhale an exasperated sigh. _Joy oh joy… I can't wait._

For minutes on end, the two walked in silence, with General Asthar in the lead and Kagome following a mere foot behind. Passing numerous maids and knights along the way, many paid their respect to General Asthar with either a nod, salute or bow. In return, he offered each individual a charming smile and nod. "Good day," he greeted a passing nobleman.

"General," the nobleman responded with a deemed tilt of the head. He passed by without paying Kagome any bit of attention. She remained indifferent however, by choosing to focus her attention on a sudden argument she easily overheard situated not too far from where the General and she were currently stopped. Curious, she deduced the voices to belong to Syrenne, the redhead who commented on her appearance rather nastily… and was the other Therius?

Stunned, she exchanged a glance with the General, only to find herself following behind him seconds after. The two approached the duo minutes later to witness Therius and Syrenne at arms length, appearing to be in the midst of a heated argument.

To the sight, General Asthar sighed, exasperated. "To think, another one of my star pupils is engaging in heated discourse with the castle's new arrivals." Not bothering to waste a single moment, he rushed forward mere seconds before their blades were set to be drawn and clash by stating calmly though forcefully, "Stay your blades."

Kagome watched on, mildly amused, as General Asthar openly apologized for Therius's ill-mannered behaviour. Therius, however, seemed not the least bit apologetic, yet kept quiet as the General conversed with Syrenne.

Eyebrows rising, she soon felt another gaze land on her, as Therius then looked towards her. Shivers running down her spine, the only action Kagome could muster up the courage to summon was a small nod. Therius's gaze merely darkened in response. She looked away and sighed.

_Yay, he's still mad at me… How nice… _

She partially laughed. "Lucky me…"

* * *

**Author's Note: **So I lied, there was no mention of Kirara in the chapter. I'll need to find a way to squeeze her in somewhere in the next chapter. Also, the next chapter will be the Ball and Gurak invasion! Woo hoo! Battle time … that'll be fun to write. X3

I hope I kept Lowell in character... it was somewhat hard to write him. *cringes* Hopefully, he didn't come across too OOC, but I can imagine him acting this way around Kagome... espeically considering how they were alone. XD I wonder how their next meeting with go... How will Syrenne and Therius respond? XD

Thank you _zgirl16_ for reviewing. I really appreciate it. :) And thank you to the others for reading and putting the story on your favourites. It means a lot to me, and makes me smile to know that people are reading.

Again, if you notice any spelling and/or grammatical errors, feel free to point them out.

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to comment. :)

All the best,

TFSA


	5. Chapter IV: Captured

**Chapter IV: **Captured

**Written: **July 18, 14

**Posted: **July 21, 2014

* * *

_The Ball has finally commenced_, Kagome thought with a frown. Standing off to the side, she watched multiple noblemen and noblewomen walk towards the center of the room, their heads held high and heels clacking as they attempted to waltz in rhythm to the music. In some ways it was kind of funny to watch, she thought; what with most of the women looking alike in their tight neutral styled gowns and overly ornate hairstyles. She could barely differentiate one from the other, and struggled even further to do so with their male counterparts. To her, they all looked the same—all too uniform and bland. Each walked as though they had permanent rulers glued to their backs, and spoke in such haughty sneering tones that was both impossible to understand and plain annoying to listen to over a period of three milliseconds.

At times like this, Kagome despised being a knight. Having to stand around for hours on end, only to listen to such trivial nonsense was more agony than being stabbed in the back by a bandit's dagger. If she had the choice, she would have easily chosen to not be present for such an event. More or less to her, the engagement of Lady Calista to Lord Jirall wasn't anything special. Truthfully, it was quite sad. Kagome actually felt partial pity for the young woman. Jirall wasn't an appropriate husband let alone fitting partner for anyone. Their engagement was merely a ploy for power, and anyone with a suitable brain stowed away inside their noggins could see it.

_I might not be the closest to Lady Calista, but I can't help but feel bad for her. _It wasn't as though Kagome went out of her way to be rude to Calista. Whenever an occasion arose to which she encountered or interacted with her, Kagome tried her best to be polite and generous. And, Calista seemed to appreciate the effort, but generally speaking their conversations were typically cut-throat and dry. Nine out of ten times, a meddlesome maid or the pesky Lord Jirall himself was present when the two women interacted, and would almost always attempt to steer Calista away from Kagome. Inwardly, she snorted. _I suppose they think I'll try to 'corrupt' her in some ways … Maybe I might try to get her to think for herself … Oh, how horrid that would be …_

"Ahh!" someone yawned in the corner catching her eye. Curious, Kagome stepped just feet from her designated post to witness a familiar young man stiffly stretch his shoulders. Akin to her, he appeared to be both bored and tired.

_Hmm, he looks familiar. _She studied him for a moment. He appeared to be in his early twenties, and possessed a nice and firm built. His spiky yet dirty blonde hair and light hazel eyes were a nice contrast to his lightly tanned skin. His clothing consisted of black garments with copper armour protruding from the lower right leg and the upper portion of his left shoulder. With a sword strapped to his side, he resembled that of an experienced fighter. _I think I saw him back in the Great Hall earlier this morning. _Recalling such an event sent shivers to her spine. A flash of the disgusting Lowell came to mind. _I guess this man is another mercenary. After all, General Asthar had addressed the pervert as 'Sir Mercenary,' so I'd assume that this man is one too. _

Her gaze then danced towards the other male standing not too far from the blonde. He too happened to be walking with Lowell's group earlier this morning. _If I remember correctly, I had assumed that he was their leader – given the fact that he'd openly warned Syrenne to not cause a scene … Too late for that... _Memories of Therius's heated argument with the redhead came to mind, especially the scolding he had received from General Asthar afterwards. Kagome heaved a small sigh, which briefly sounded like a faint chuckle. More than anything she wanted to laugh upon recalling the event, since Therius looked less than happy and Syrenne appeared mildly irritated. In her eyes, it was a win-win situation … Though the General had seemed less than happy both with her behaviour around Lowell, and Therius's behaviour around Syrenne.

_I guess I can understand Therius's views on Syrenne… He's never been too kind to mercenaries, and her uncouth mouth is the typical trademark that one would expect from their kind …_

"Lords and Ladies! Presenting Lady Calista!"

Trumpets and violins sounded as Calista descended from the eastern staircase snapping Kagome from her thoughts. Noblemen and noblewomen exchanged similar gasps of joy at the sight of the attractive heir. Even Kagome had to admit that Calista looked striking. With a floor length indigo gown, she achieved quite the contrast with her pallid complexion making for both a bold yet stunning statement. Her long silver locks glistened under the ballroom's lightning, making her jewellery – her opulent necklace in particular – glisten and glimmer from all directions. Her makeup was anything but perfect, which helped complete the ensemble.

"My, my, what a beauty!"

"To think, Lord Jirall has the honour of marrying Lady Calista! He is quite fortunate!"

"A lovely bride and a lovely husband! Ah, true love is sweet!"

Kagome suppressed a snort. True love? As if. Simply by watching Calista, it was obvious to see her plain lack of interest in Lord Jirall and everyone around her. Like Kagome, it seemed that Calista wished to be anywhere but here. _I suppose that makes two of us then. _She watched Calista and Jirall descend the staircase and make their way through the crowd of giddy-eyed nobles and over towards the Count.

Quietly, she snorted. _To think, only a few more hours to go … long and tedious my foot._

Glancing to make sure that no one was watching, Kagome slowly withdrew from her assigned position and walked towards the northern hallway. She decided that if anyone were to question her leave of post, she would merely inform them that she wanted a small breath of air. _After standing in that same spot for three hours straight, I think anyone would want a small change of scenery. _And to think, their wedding was still a month away. She groaned at the thought.

Kagome walked down the hall in silence. As far as the eye could see, no one was around – everyone was back in the Ballroom, gushing over the future couple and wedding of the century. Her stomach churned at the thought. _Poor Calista … she's suffering so much, and to think, the worst has yet to come… _The thought of anyone marrying Jirall sent shivers down her spine. Again she couldn't help but think, _Poor Calista… poor Calista indeed._

Kagome rounded the hallway bend to arrive to a suitable location: a corner alcove nicely decorated with tall statues and many impressionist paintings. Tall columns lined the plush red walls as overly ornate crown moulding traced the elevated walls. There was even a small wooden sectional built into the wall, which wrapped around the corner framed windows. To complete the setting, a stunning stain glass window set depicting a scene from previous generations past shone down from the ceiling, providing the small area with additional lighting, as the lighted torches did not burn as bright.

She heaved a small sigh. "It's so peaceful."

"Hmm…" Someone mumbled rather quietly.

Kagome arched a brow. Curious, she turned around partially to faintly notice a small… person dash behind a nearby pillar. A familiar ginger shade, however, greatly caught her attention. Instantaneously, her eyes narrowed – she knew the little person from a hole in the wall.

"Shippou?" she whispered, slowly approaching the pillar.

"K-Kagome?" stuttered a frightful youngster.

She watched as Shippou slowly withdrew from the large pillar to face her. She crossed her arms, eyeing him. Bending down to reach his height, she questioned him. "Shippou, what are you doing here?"

Fiddling with his palms, the little mage looked sideways unable to meet her gaze. "I-I was curious a-about how the B-Ball was going … and w-wanted to see how L-Lady Calista l-looked." He stuttered bashfully, nearly stumbling on every other word.

Kagome chortled and patted his head. "Shippou, there's no need to be scared. I won't do anything bad."

Shippou nodded while slightly trembling. "I-I know."

Kagome saw his knees quaking. She suppressed a smile. "Shippou, while it's fine to be interested in the Ball, you should know better than to try and sneak in." Her eyes narrowed causing the boy to freeze on the spot. "However," she began in a warning tone, "the Ball is not a place for children, Shippou. Lady Kaede told you especially, that you were to remain in the Library during the time of when the Ball took place."

"But it's so boring up there!" He whined, pouting. "All the other kids are complaining too about being bored! I was the only one with enough guts though to bother sneaking—Ehh!" Realizing the error of his past sentence, he slapped his hands overtop his mouth in an attempt to conceal himself.

Kagome clicked her tongue. For the sake of Shippou, she decided to disregard his past sentence. Nevertheless, she fully intended to reprimand the boy for his thoughtless actions. "Shippou, while I won't scold you, I am going to inform Lady Kaede of your actions." He squeaked. She continued. "She'll be able to provide a suitable punishment. Come now, Shippou." She entwined her hand with his, and began to lead him down the hallway. "If I'm to return to my post soon, I must bring you to Lady Kaede sooner than later."

"But Kagome, why—" Shippou ceased talking upon noticing a sudden dark spot emanating from the ceiling. His eyes widened by a tenfold. "W-What is that?!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Shippou, that won't work. Don't even think of trying to sidetrack me. We are going to see Lady Kaede, and that is final."

"No! No! No!" He tugged at her hand incisively. "Kagome, look up at the ceiling! Look up right now!" His continuous tugs at her hand and loud voice managed to catch her attention enough. Slightly frazzled, she looked above her to watch in befuddlement as a sudden hoard of … something dropped from the ceiling, and smashed their way through the stain glass.

Kagome roared, "Shippou!" Scooping the boy up in her arms, she jumped to the side narrowly avoiding a fire covered arrow.

Shippou screamed, his face paling, "Kagome, are those Gurak?!"

Eyes narrowed, Kagome briefly studied the enemies whilst withdrawing her sword from its sheath. Standing before her was six Gurak – as Shippou originally deduced. Four wore armour and carried long swords, while another sported a crossbow set and the last held a dagger in its hands – she assumed him to be a mage. Swearing under her breath, she briefly cried out, "Shippou, run! I'll take care of them!"

Shippou surprised her however, by responding, "No way! I'm not leaving you here to defend yourself alone!" When he saw her doubtful gaze, he puffed his cheeks. "Kagome, don't you forget that I'm training to be the world's strongest mage! I can handle a few harmless Gur—**AHH**!" When another arrow whizzed right by his head, the little mage let out a death defying scream and jumped straight from her arms.

"Shippou!"

With little difficulty, Kagome jumped to feet and rushed forward to combat the approaching enemies. Dodging the Gurak swordsmen's attacks rather easily, she headed straight for the mage. As the sole archer spent mere seconds struggling to reload his crossbow, Kagome ceased the opportunity to attack the mage head on, who was preparing to incant an attack spell. Delivering a series of quick attacks, her sword sliced through his small body causing dark blue blood to spur in all directions. She hissed, partially disgusted by the sight, before turning on the ball of her left foot to attack the archer who was then prepared to fire.

"Ahh!" she managed to land a blow to his side causing the Gurak to shout and lose hold of its weapon. But before she managed to end it however, a Gurak swordsman swiftly struck from behind making her roll to the side in an attempt to save herself from being sliced in two.

She cursed under her breath, "Mindless savages."

The four swordsmen approached her, grinning widely. Raising their swords, it seemed as though they planned to charge head forward towards her. Kagome gritted her teeth and got into proper stance, preparing to block the sudden assimilation of attacks. However, almost like magic, a large burst of flames was then shot straight towards the Gurak. The Gurak, taken by surprise, cried and struggled to jump out of the surprisingly large magical circle while looking around anxiously to see who attacked them. When five pairs of eyes – Kagome included – landed onto Shippou's small form, a sudden silence fell before the group.

Shippou stared back equally stunned. "What's with those glares?!" he cried, waving his arms in protest. "Do I really resemble that much of a coward?!"

The Gurak responses: narrowed eyes, bared teeth and a sudden urge to slice a young boy in two with their swords.

At the sight, Shippou screamed and jumped several feet, "Kagome, help!"

Laughing softly, Kagome used the opportunity Shippou blessed her with to attack the unsuspecting Gurak. With lightning fast reflexes, she cut down the four men singlehandedly, watching their limp bodies fall to the ground. Shippou barely had the time to catch his breath when seeing a small hoard of Gurak bodies lining the castle's northern alcove, as a large pool of dark blue surrounded them.

He exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"It's not over yet!" Kagome warned him, dashing to grab him and dive behind an unsuspecting pillar as a series of arrows were swiftly fired towards them. Shippou screamed the entire time – even as Kagome set him down behind her.

"**Ahh!"**

"Shippou, please be quiet!" She advised, slowly exiting from behind the pillar, ready to strike down the final enemy. "I suppose I have no other choice," she decided, preparing to rush head first towards the archer. "There's no other option." Gripping the hilt of her blade, she exhaled softly before leaving the security of the pillar entirely. _Here goes nothing! _With a mighty cry, she ran forward, dodging the incoming fire arrows. Jumping, she thrust her blade forward striking the Gurak right through its stomach. Upon hearing the monster gasp, Kagome and the Gurak fell back and landed on the stone floor. Kagome sat atop the archer, and saw the way her sword was diagonally poking right through its stomach. With a pool of dark blue quickly escaping the wound, she withdrew her blade and hissed, but managed to smile softly.

"Finally, we're safe." She got to her feet and slid her sword back into its sheath. Turning around to look for Shippou, she called out, "Shippou, you can come out—"

"Argh!"

"Huh?" Whipping around, Kagome watched, stunned, as an even larger hoard of Gurak came charging forward from down the hallway. Partially stunned, her hand reached down to retrieve her blade again before suddenly something struck her hard – dead on – from behind.

A languid groan escaping her lips, she fell face forward onto the ground. Exhaling, she watched with spotty vision as the surprisingly large hoard of Gurak drew further, their numbers seeming to have doubled within the span of seconds. Darkness soon overtaking her, Kagome felt something – a foot, perhaps? – slam down on her backside causing her to scream. A series of hefty laughs then filled the air as she felt several blows striking her entire her body. Within milliseconds everywhere ached. And, with her hazy vision, she swore she saw red leaking out from her arms.

_T-This … this isn't good… _She thought, her gaze darkening. Yet, before blacking out fully, she witnessed a Gurak march forward to smile smugly towards her. Showing its disgusting fangs, it rose what seemed to be something of large and thick metal above her head before bringing it down to make it collide right with her head.

…

Afterwards, all went silent.

* * *

Something cool was touching her head. She felt a warm yet hazy sensation slowly coursing its way through her body. Before she even realized it, she exhaled a groan and limply blinked, making her eyelids flutter open.

"W-What happened?" She questioned, struggling to identify the face of a young woman standing before her.

The blurred woman smiled, uttering softly. "I'm glad you're finally awake. You had me worried there for some time with that nasty gash you acquired to the top of your head."

Kagome gasped and hastily sat up. It was all coming back to her; the ball, walking down the corridor, finding Shippou, the Gurak attack … and then being knocked out. She groaned to the thought. _Ugh, being knocked out by a single Gurak right after losing a spar to Therius this morning … Oh, the shame … _

Muttering, Kagome felt the unknown woman place her hands atop her shoulders. "Lady Knight, you mustn't move so quickly. I still haven't healed your injuries entirely."

"Who are you?" It was at that moment, that Kagome took the time to study the woman kneeling before her. The woman seemed to be in her early twenties, and had quite the lovely visage. With porcelain doll-like skin, she had shimmering topaz eyes and shoulder-length ebony hair pinned back into a bun. With a large portion of bangs cascading down the right side of her face, Kagome was barely able to view a small series of jewels forming an interesting design in the centre of her forehead. The woman's clothing also consisted of a multitude of black clothing, which fully covered her small frame. Dark grey gloves covering her hands entirely, Kagome could watch in silence as a bright white light emanated from her palms.

_So, she's a healing mage too. _Kagome smiled softly. _I would have probably become one too, if General Asthar hadn't suggested that I choose to pursue a career in knighthood. _

…

Kagome's eyes darkened. _Though, at the rate I seem to be going at right now, I believe I'm a suitable candidate to be revoked from knighthood…_

"Lady Knight, is your head still throbbing? Your face still appears dastardly white. Are you in need of further healing?"

Snapped from her thoughts, Kagome looked up to meet the woman's gaze. A soft smile gracing her face, she whispered, "No, thank you. I feel much better." She slowly got up into a more comfortable position. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Mirania," she beamed with a nod. "And yourself, Lady Knight, what is your name – if you don't mind me asking."

"Kagome," she responded with a faint chuckle. Adjusting her gloves, she murmured, "Thank you, Mirania. You have certainly helped me in more ways than you could have possibly imagined."

"It was of no trouble," Mirania replied. "I'm happy to have aided one of the captured civilians."

"… Captured civilians?" She didn't like the sound of this.

With a paling face, Mirania nodded. "Yes, Lady Kagome; I'm afraid it's true. Many people, us included, have been captured by the Gurak. I believe we're currently adrift too."

"W-What makes you say that?" Kagome gulped her face paling.

Wordlessly, Mirania pointed towards a barred window behind them. With slight hesitation, Kagome clambered to her feet and stalked towards the window. Looking out, she saw that they were, in fact, adrift, and heading far from the Lazulis Island.

Numbly, Kagome backed away from the window and leaned against the closest wall. "Joy oh joy," she uttered with a face palm.

Soft chuckles caught her attention. Looking to the side, she witnessed Mirania covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to conceal her giggles. Eyebrow arched, Kagome slowly sat down. "What is so funny, Mirania?"

"Your expression," the healer answered calmly. Clearing her throat, she continued. "My apologies, Lady Kagome, but your previous expression was somewhat humorous to me."

Kagome smiled faintly. "I'm glad to have made someone smile … given our current predicament." Both females shared a grimace. Kagome pursed her lips together. "It would seem as though the Gurak have taken my sword." She eyed her current self, and noticed an obvious lacking of where her sword was once positioned … along with quite a bit of removed armour.

Face paling even further, Kagome struggled to banish sentiments of worry from within. Heaving a grunt, she slowly got to her feet again and this time walked towards the barred cell door. Studying their surroundings for a minute, she turned to face Mirania with a hopeful gaze. "Mirania, tell me, do you happen to know of any others who were taken hostage? Particularly, if any happened to be experienced fighters?"

Mirania thought it over for a minute. "I believe my partner Yurick, who is a fire mage, was also taken aboard." When seeing Kagome nod in approval, Mirania found herself asking. "Of what use is that information to you, Lady Kagome?"

"Simple," she grunted, kneeling down to reach the healer's height. "With the help of yourself and Yurick – after we have located him – how would you feel in attempting to take control of this Gurak ship?"

"W-What?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Kagome isn't Kagome unless she's captured once. x3 It happens to her all the time in _InuYasha_, so I decided to include it here. Don't worry though, in the next chapter she'll be kicking major butt with Mirania and Yurick, who I intend to make shine in the following chapter. :P Heh, heh … I know I skipped over much of the Ball and the actual Gurak invasion of Lazulis Castle, but the next few chapters focusing on taking control of the Gurak ship and invading the Gurak continent will be provided with much more depth, and have further battle scenes … which I struggle to write wholeheartedly. What were your thoughts on Shippou in this chapter? :)

Thank you _xXCrossoverLoverXx_ and _Fanficlover16000_ for reviewing. I hope you both, along with everyone else enjoyed the chapter.

Thank you for reading, and all the best,

-TFSA

P.S., A particular InuYasha character will be making an appearance in the next chapter. Care to take a guess? :P


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